DCi announces electronic catalog database content development group MANUFACTURERS now have an easy way to work with electronic catalog systems. DCi announced the formation of its Database Content Development Group whose goal is to help manufacturers develop and maintain information in electronic catalog systems that utilize the new industry composing standards.
Their primary service, e*Serv, is designed to:
Put manufacturers' catalog information into a database that utilizes the new ANSI X12 industry standards.
Make the information internet compatible for consumer-level application/part number lookup.
Provide catalog information in a simple format that interfaces with distributor, kiosk and POS systems.
"Our goal is to give manufacturers a turnkey service that will allow them to get their information into these systems without having to spend valuable time inputting the information," says Nile Cornelison, President, DCi.
DCI (Direct Communications Inc.) is a manufacturers' marketing support service provider. For more information call 515/276-0442.
Prestone to launch innovative 'bullets' PRESTONE Products Corporation is entering the $300 million automotive wax and polish market with Prestone® Bullet™ Wax, an ultra premium automotive wax with a proprietary dispensing system. The Prestone Bullet Wax system not only dispenses a measured amount of wax, it also has an ergonomic applicator, which makes applying wax easy and fast.
The professional-quality Prestone Bullet Wax system includes a bottle, "trigger" applicator and sponge, all in a single unit. The trigger dispenses a measured amount of wax quickly on the vehicle. You then use the system's sponge to apply the wax in an even layer. The typical sponge or rag can make application uneven, because the greatest pressure is applied under your fingers. But the Prestone Bullet Wax applicator provides a stable, even base for the sponge. Moreover, with the comfortable, easy-to-hold grip, you can hold the product in any position. The Prestone Bullet Wax system makes it easy to get a professional shine, every time.
The unique applicator system is only half the story. Prestone's exclusive Bullet Wax formulation produces a long-lasting, high-intensity shine. Only premium quality ingredients are used to provide heightened depth of color, outstanding beading and durability.
According to Prestone Group Product Manager for Car Care Products, Brian Holliday, "We saw a situation in which innovation could make a difference in this category. In recent years there has been little new in the way of packaging in car waxes, and most manufacturers were offering little in advertising support.
Without these factors to drive the market, everyone competed on price and retail margins began to erode. In entering the market, Prestone sees itself as filling a gap, giving value to both retailers and consumers."
Holliday continues, "We created Bullet™ Wax to stand out. Our R&D lab developed a top-quality, high-performance wax. We then created the proprietary application system to improve the way you apply the wax. The results are outstanding. Just as Prestone's first appearance products under the Professional Clean name broke new ground in automotive cleaning products by utilizing an integrated brush cap design, Prestone Bullet Wax redefines the premium end of the wax market."
Prestone will unveil plans to support both products with a $3 million national television advertising campaign at the AAIW show in Las Vegas, NV.
Each container of Bullet Wax contains enough wax for two cars.
Advanced training techniques help instruct brake installers LONG A vanguard in automotive technology, Raybestos Brakes continues to trailblaze technical advancements in the automotive industry and uphold its progressive reputation by applying advanced technology to its instructional curriculum.
Raybestos' objective is to ensure that not only do their brake products lead the industry, but Raybestos installers lead as well by stressing both quality and safety in its technical training.
Video conferencing is just one of the many quality programs offered to ensure Raybestos is the "Best in Brakes." The company continually invests millions of dollars toward the expansion of technology and capacity.
Currently, Tod Lange, marketing manager of technical services, and his ASE-certified technical training staff provide assistance to service technicians through ongoing phone hotline help, videoconference training sessions, hands-on training courses in the field and at Raybestos' training facility, a comprehensive library of service manuals and training videos, as well as a fully operational World Wide Website.
The company maintains its 24-hour Website (http://www.raybestos.com) as an invaluable source of information for technicians worldwide.
The site includes documents on technical training sessions including course descriptions and on-line registration. Technicians can enroll in a course by completing the on-line registration form or by calling toll free 1-800-BPI-INF1.
Visitors to the Webpage can view a list of a wide selection of training materials available to consumers through local Brake Parts Inc./Raybestos dealers as well as updated information on new products.
Consumers can get online help from technical support staff, access information about distributors and review the monthly interBPI World newsletter. Over 200 questions per week are placed to the technical support page of the site.
The interBPI World newsletter contains a list of the most frequently asked questions from the Tech Support Hotlines, such as how to retrieve ABS diagnostic codes on specific vehicles and what are the most common causes of disc brake noise, along with an in-depth explanation on repair procedures. Furthermore, a featured vehicle page is included, detailing information on specific vehicle models combined with an analysis of the brake components standard to that particular model.
Technical Bulletins have also been added to the site, complete with discussions on troubleshooting anti-lock, hydraulic, and import brake systems. Each brake system page contains diagrams and servicing precautions.
The technical staff at Raybestos has included a full page dedicated to D3EA and its benefits to consumers and the importance of D3EA certification to highway safety. A "Dealer/Installer Locator" is provided for visitors interested in having information sent to them on where to purchase or have installed the D3EA certified Raybestos products.
An added feature to the site is "This Week In Racing" which recaps the week's racing results covering Trans-Am, Busch Grand National, Indy/Cart, Winston Cup and Craftsman Truck divisions. Each recap consists of a brief interview with the Raybestos driver and a list of the final race results.
Raybestos has even added a "Local/Amateur Races" page designed for those who engage in the pursuit, study, or sport of racing as a partime profession.
Raybestos and Brake Parts Inc. continue to update the website on a regular basis. Additional links, which are currently under construction, include a "Raybestos Racing Apparel" page where consumers can order specially designed apparel. Among the items in Raybestos' new line is an eye-catching leather racing jacket, a custom nylon fast track jacket, a denim durango jacket, denim and cotton shirts, baseball hats, heavy-duty nylon duffel bag, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and coffee mugs.
Clothing items are available in sizes small through 3XL and most items display the Raybestos "Official Brakes of NASCAR" logo.
Tenneco Automotive unveils new Walker Quiet-Flow muffler
TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE introduced the new Walker® Quiet-Flow™ muffler, a premium exhaust product that, while exceptionally quiet, features an open flow pattern that increases exhaust flow and allows an engine to operate at peak efficiency.
Available in January 1998, the new Walker Quiet-Flow muffler is the first of a new generation of replacement mufflers that deliver improved sound quality and an average of 35 percent less exhaust backpressure when compared to other replacement mufflers.
"There has been a tremendous amount of technological investment associated with the development of the Walker Quiet-Flow muffler," says Matt Cribari, senior vice president and general manager for Tenneco Automotive North American aftermarket.
"Our engineers have resolved an on-going dilemma of trying to keep a muffler quiet while reducing exhaust backpressure that can rob an engine of power."
Previously, open flow exhaust patterns resulted in louder and less acoustically pleasing sounds than most consumers prefer. This dilemma forced manufacturers to compromise between engine performance and exhaust sound.
According to Bill Dreyer, chief engineer for aftermarket exhaust systems, the company's engineers have been working to find ways to increase exhaust flow and improve sound quality. The breakthrough provided by the new Quiet-Flow muffler is the result of a highly-durable, continuous-strand fibrous material, licensed exclusively in North America to Tenneco Automotive for use in Walker replacement exhaust products.
Developed by Owens Corning, this material is inserted into a select chamber in the Quiet-Flow muffler via a patented manufacturing process.
Dreyer said that as exhaust gasses and sound waves pass through the muffler, medium to high frequency sounds are channeled into the select chamber containing the fibrous material. The material then actually dampens the sound.
Dreyer explained that the sound-absorption properties of this fibrous material also allows Tenneco Automotive engineers to tune each muffler application for optimum sound quality.
"Each Quiet-Flow muffler is custom tuned to filter out more of the high frequency engine noises, resulting in more pleasing, lower sounding exhaust tones," he adds.
As exhaust gasses and sound waves are generated from the engine, they need to travel through the exhaust system's intricate duct work to be channeled out of the vehicle.
According to Dreyer, most exhaust systems channel gasses and sound waves through a "tortuous path" of small-diameter louvre tubes and "pinch points" to help deaden sound waves before they leave the vehicle.
Employing this type of exhaust system design reduces sound, but also highly restricts the flow of exhaust gasses, which can rob an engine of power and limit its operating efficiency.
Using the fibrous material, and its sound-absorbing characteristics, allowed engineers to design the Walker Quiet-Flow with larger-diameter louvre tubes and, in many cases, eliminate pinch points. The result is a less restrictive exhaust flow and improved engine performance.
The new Walker Quiet-Flow muffler is made from an all-aluminized steel construction that offers greater resistance to corrosion.
SPX amd ALLDATA sign marketing agreement SPX CORPORATION and its Aftermarket Tool and Equipment Group have signed an agreement with ALLDATA Corporation to market ALLDATA's information products in the U.S. and Canada.
ALLDATA publishes electronic automotive repair information and serves more than 20,000 customers. The equipment group of SPX designs and manufacturers Allen Testproducts, Bear, OTC and Robinair brands of automotive service equipment.
ALLDATA's information systems will be marketed and sold by SPX through the new Mac Equipment Program and SPX's professional equipment sales organization.
"The agreement with ALLDATA is significant because it strengthens SPX's ability to be a value-added aftermarket and dealer service provider," says Mark Wrightsman, president of SPX's Aftermarket Tool and Equipment Group.
SPX also announced it has expanded its presence in Europe for automotive transmission oil filters by increasing its ownership share of IBS Filtran of Morsbach, Germany. It now owns 60 percent of IBS.
SPX has also signed an agreement with Mercedes-Benz of North America. Under the agreement, SPX's Tool and Equipment Group will market Mercedes-Benz-approved service equipment to more than 300 Mercedes dealers nationally. Prior to this, Mercedes internally managed the program for 15 years.
Free sports trips are top marketing prize THE LUBEGARD®/Dr. TRANNY ALL-STAR SPORTS CONTEST, sponsored by International Lubricants, Inc. (ILI) offers shop owners and mechanics an opportunity to win a wide variety of prizes according to Bill Harrison, marketing manager of ILI.
"We are pleased to have Grand Prize winners in each category, rewarding shop owners as well as mechanics for their outstanding support and loyalty to LUBEGARD® and DR. TRANNY brand products," says Harrison.
The two Grand Prize winners will win either a five-day trip to Hawaii, which includes tickets to the 1999 Pro Bowl, airfare and hotel accommodations for two; or a three-day trip to Colorado, which includes tickets to the 1998 All-Star Baseball Game, airfare and hotel accommodations for two.
Prize winners are determined by the highest number of tabs that are submitted to ILI for totaling and verification on special game boards.
The first phase of the contest runs from August 1, 1997 through June 1, 1998.
Shop owners and mechanics submit their tab-laden game boards to ILI in hopes of winning a trip to the All-Star Baseball Game.
The second phase of the contest ends December 15, 1998. Shop owners and mechanics submit their tab- laden game boards to ILI to determine the Pro Bowl/Hawaii winners.
Eligible contestants can enter the contest by obtaining an All-Star game board in trade publications, or by contacting their local distributor for an All-Star poster, or by writing to: LUBEGARD®/Dr. TRANNY All-Star Contest, P.O. Box 24743, Seattle, WA 98124.
Shop owners and mechanics attending AAIW '97 who wish to begin carrying the LUBEGARD®, DR. TRANNY line and be considered for the LUBEGARD®/DR. TRANNY ALL-STAR SPORTS CONTEST should contact their nearest distributor, visit ILI at the ASIA/MEMA/APAA Show booth #2681 at the Sands Expo or contact Bill Harrison, ILI, 7930 Occidental Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108, (800) 333-5823.
